


Confrontation

by snowbryneich



Series: Deception [6]
Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Disputes, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-18 06:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8152453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowbryneich/pseuds/snowbryneich
Summary: Elizabeth and Will have a confrontation and Elizabeth makes a decision.





	

Elizabeth could only be glad Will was not home when she arrived back at the house feeling drained and weary. She could not have faced him. It had been embarrassing enough that she had spent the afternoon crying in her childhood bedroom with only a lock she had never used when she lived there keeping her father and her staff out.

When she had finally permitted her father in she had claimed a megrim that had came on suddenly and pleaded her need to go home because of the headache. And if that had not been bad enough, James rejection of her had only made her suddenly certain of her feelings for James Norrington. It would not hurt this badly if she did not love him. But he was bored of her already and trying to fob her off back to Will - why should he not. She had chosen Will. And how could she possibly expect him to love her given her behaviour. He probably thought her a complete slattern.

She sat down in her own plain parlour and thought she should just give in. Give Will a child, learn to cook, sew his shirts or whatever else it was he wanted. Be a blacksmith’s wife. It was after all what she _was_. It was the path she had chosen. The thought made her feel entirely depressed and she went to bed without supper in case Will came home for the meal - she could not bear the thought of facing him.

 

Two days later her father came to call and she took the chance to berate him thoroughly. “I know you hold it against me that I married down and am an embarrassment to you,” she said in a snit. “But that is no call for you to tell Commodore Norrington that I am pathetic and unhappy as if he could possibly care. He has to fuss over me to please you and then he can probably go home and laugh that my marriage is miserable and that it serves me right for throwing him over.”

“So you admit Mr. Turner is making you miserable,” her father accused - oh now he paid attention to what she was actually saying.

“It was nothing,” she told him. “Just a silly quarrel - I overspent my allowance and Will was cross. That’s all.” Her father was immediately outraged - it was not as if Will was short of money thanks to her settlement. What wife did not occasionally over spend her allowance, he said. What husband did not want to spoil his wife. He fussed over her and petted her hair and before he left he pressed two months allowance on her to spend as she liked before he left.

 

Elizabeth spent about five minutes trying to convince herself that her father would be pleased if her marriage settled - he would be thrilled to be a grandfather - and probably would prefer it be a legitimate grandchild even if it did mean a blood relation to Will.

But she could not force herself to commit to it and she decided instead to go out and buy a new gown. There would be a party soon and if James did not care to bed her - well someone would she was sure. But that only made her want to cry. But even if she doesn’t want to attract a new lover it occurred to her that going out and buying a new gown would irritate Will which was not a very practical way of thinking but still very tempting.

 

The instant she stepped in the dress makers she knew exactly what she would want - there was a bolt of fresh silk on the counter - a moiré weave in a aquamarine colour and it looked almost like the waves on the sea. She could use cream lace with it for the froth and some silver embroidery. Elizabeth might end up spending most of what her father gave her on such a creation and have nowhere to wear such a dress but she wanted it anyway.

Picking a pattern never takes her long - she knows what suits her and she reluctantly acquiesces to having her measurements taken - as if they have changed since the last dress she bought. She hates being measured and fitted here - the shop girl was so clumsy and always manages to poke Elizabeth with pins but she supposed that could hardly happen if she was only being measured and not fitted. So it annoys her when the tape measure was pinned and once again Elizabeth was pricked sharply - surely that could not be an accident when she had nothing to pin to her yet it was as if she was doing it on purpose. It made Elizabeth look at her sharply and the girl backed away hastily her jaw set mutinously as if Elizabeth was going to scold. 

But not quickly enough - Elizabeth had seen the necklace around the girls slender neck and she had _recognised_ it and suddenly the glare made so much sense. And the attempts to stab Elizabeth with pins. Elizabeth would not cause a scene - she won’t but she couldn’t help a little bit of spite. “I’m sorry,” she said, “Am I fidgeting - I am exhausted I have not had a good night’s sleep since my husband returned from Nassau.” She lowered her voice as if in confidence and blushed a little to imply just why this was and was rewarded with a stoney glare. Elizabeth never knew when to leave well enough alone and she smiled brightly. “Goodness that’s a pretty necklace,” she said leaning in. “Is it an import or from here - I used to have one just like it but lost it - I’d love to replace it if that was bought in town.”

The girl reared back as if Elizabeth had struck her and looked so distressed for a moment Elizabeth almost felt bad. Almost. It was not her who should feel guilty.

 

After that Elizabeth declined to continue being measured - her figure had not changed since the masquerade gown and she made an excuse that she had an invite to tea and went home glad at least Will would not be there. He rarely was during the day - his business did not run itself. She was not sure why it was so much worse to have met Will’s indiscretion than to just know about her. But she was not even halfway home when she thinks she might cry as she thinks over how throughly he had betrayed her. And then she knows why.

 She remembered distinctly the thoughts she had had on the day she had realised the necklace had not been bought for her and what that meant. How distraught she had been even though she had known how much she and Will had already been drifting apart. And she had known of course that men of wealth - which Will was now - would receive offers. Just as every rake had set his cap for her after a few months of marriage - bored wives were a safe target rather than maiden girls. She had assumed he had some sort of arrangement like that - that he’d been seduced by some experienced women of society. But he had not - he was bedding a shop girl.

Elizabeth certainly knew how ignorant she had been in matters of the bedroom until she had stepped out on Will and men had been much more demanding of her - all of her lovers had added to her education except James - James had always been happy with whatever she offered him. Perhaps if she had said he could bugger her or instruct her in some perverseness to his preference he might not have tired of her so quickly. That was a futile thought - he would probably only be more disgusted with her.

 

But she had - at first - tried to excuse Will. She had known he found society life difficult and there was so much temptation out there. Elizabeth had received numerous offers though she had never even considered taking them up on their indecent proposals before she had realised she had truly lost Will’s attention. Perhaps before that she had had the odd inappropriate thought or dream about a certain pirate and being rescued and a particular island - but she had always been deeply ashamed even if they were only dreams and she was unlikely to see Jack Sparrow again in her life. 

She _knew_ however that no matter how much the shop girl had glared at her she had not seduced Will. Surely the girl - what was her name - Lucy was it - not that it mattered - would not dare risk her virtue in such a way. If she was working in a shop then she needed her good name to keep her job nearly as much as a debutante needed it to attract a husband. No - Will must have seduced her. Perhaps he had known her when he was little more than a shop boy himself as a apprentice. Perhaps they had been sweethearts when Elizabeth had been been courted by James. Perhaps Will actually loved the girl. Though if he did then he was doing poorly by her too - he could easily afford to set her up in a house and give her an allowance - why was she still working in a shop? Perhaps he was so determined to see Elizabeth with child so she could die in childbed like her mother had and then he would be free to marry someone who would scrub floors and cook his meals. No wonder Will always knew how much she had spent - all his lectures when she had bought a ribbon or new gloves or a new bonnet. He must have gotten a full report.

 

Will unsurprisingly comes home that night. He was in a foul temper and Elizabeth rubbed it in by being solicitous at least at first. She did not expect him to confront her. It was after dinner and he barely spoke during - Elizabeth was only glad he was just as rejected. Until he sneered at her over the table. “Are you proud?” It was a bizarre question and Elizabeth played ignorant.

“I have been told I am,” but why should she not be proud. She’s pretty and rich and well born - it was not as if women were expected to achieve anything else in life. This was of course not what he meant so she countered. “Are you going somewhere with this.”

 “You are beyond spiteful,” Will said hotly. “And I am ashamed that you are my wife.”

“You are the one who should be ashamed,” Elizabeth shot back outraged - she would not be scolded for not being polite to his mistress.

He threw the necklace on the table with a clatter - so no-one could think there was any misunderstanding of why they were arguing. “Do you know that is the only piece of jewellery she has ever owned in her life?” he demanded. “She thought it was beautiful and never took it off. What do you think of it.”

Elizabeth thought it looked cheap but could not quite bring herself to say so but it must have shown on her face because he scoffed at her.

“I do not know why I am supposed to care about Lucy’s feelings,” she said before he could accuse her further - it was not her who had been _caught_. “So the jewellery isn’t mine. You _are_ supposed to be.”

 

“Lotty,” he said quietly and for a moment she did not understand. Then she realised that was the girls name and flushed.

“You have shopped there since you were a child,” Will said, disgust in his voice. “And you don’t even know her name. You are a snob, Elizabeth and you think you are better than everyone. Your father and friends are worse. I know I will only ever be a blacksmith to them. To you.”

“That is not fair,” she said. “I was always your friend no matter your position, I spent years trying to get you to call me by name. I have never cared that you were a blacksmith - you just don’t have to be one anymore. I am not a snob - so I was not friends with every shop girl in Port Royal - at least I am not chasing _their_ husbands.”

“No,” he said bitterly. “But then I am sure you would be chasing men of your own class if you had not ruined yourself for them by lowering yourself to marry me. None of them want a blacksmith’s leavings.” Elizabeth would like to tell him that wasn’t true at all but his temper was so fierce she didn’t dare and she resented him all the more for being afraid. He tossed back the last of his wine. “You can keep the necklace - I am sure it is not your usual standard. I bought it with money I earned myself not what I got off your father when you condescended to raise me to your level.”

“I don’t want your mistress’s cast offs.” she told him snatching it up and flinging at him. “I am sure she will want it back when she realised you have ruined her for any other husband.” Most shop girls only work until they get married but he had ruined that for her. That hits home with Will and for a moment he looked so angry that when he clenched his fists, she took a step back afraid she had gone too far but then he turned his back and left slamming the door as he went.

 

Elizabeth sat down hard and stared at the ruined meal for a long while. Then she slipped upstairs and stripped out of her dress and made a decision. She cannot stay here. She cannot bear it. The uniform she wore on the return home on the Dauntless was well hidden but she dug it out and put it on. She cannot call on James as herself but a marine going to the Commodores house late at night well that would not incite comment would it. Of course she won’t be able to wear it at sea so she helped herself to some of Will’s clothing. She tied her hair in a queue and then felt a spike of guilt. So she sat down to write a note to her father apologising for leaving. She sorted her jewellery into two piles - anything that belonged to her mother she put aside- she didn’t want to take anything that it would pain her to sell. The rest - gifts from her father she could mostly part with - she added the necklace he bought for her debut, her eighteenth birthday and her wedding to the other pile. It still left her considerable assets to take with her and she hadn’t paid for the dress she ordered today so she had the money off her father. She decided in the end not to leave the jewellery she wanted to keep here. In case Will decided Lotty should have something fancier when she was gone.

She left a note for Estrella too- she would worry and Elizabeth was her friend as well as her employer. Her father will find work for her and Mary if Will did not keep them on. It did not even cross her mind to leave Will a goodbye. He would not care if she was here or not but by the time she had completed her preparation it was dark and when she got to James house it was pitch black. She knew if she knocked it would raise suspicion - Port Royal would have to be under pirate attack for a marine to call this late. So instead she scaled the terrace and peered into what turned out to be James’ bedroom. He was asleep and Elizabeth hauled herself up to his window and watched him until her arms ached from holding on. It was as well that he was asleep though - it almost made it easier to not have to say goodbye. She slipped into his room half hoping he would wake even it was best he did not but he didn’t she left the note for him and her father and the casket of jewellery. She hoped she had been apologetic enough that he would not mind playing delivery boy and taking her farewell to her father - perhaps he might do it for her father’s sake even if he now hated her.

 


End file.
